Proposed Restaurant Denied Liquor Permit

Decision Lauded In New Britain

January 28, 1997|By BILL LEUKHARDT; Courant Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN — A state agency has denied a Bronx man a liquor permit he needs to open a full- service restaurant at the Rockwell Avenue address of the former Las Vegas Cafe, a bar that attracted gangs and drugs.

The state Liquor Control Commission's decision, dated Jan. 23 but released Monday, said a new liquor establishment would have a bad effect on the older neighborhood and would not be in the best interest of the public.

The decision was welcomed by residents, police and city officials. All three groups testified last fall against applicant Angel Rivera's proposal to run a cafe at the address.

``I'm very pleased with the decision,'' Police Chief William Sencio said. ``We're have a large reduction in calls for assistance in that neighborhood since the previous cafe was closed down. Things are more peaceful there without a cafe.''

Mayor Lucian Pawlak lauded the commission for a decision that he said helps residents working to reclaim the older neighborhood, hit hard by crime, blight and lack of jobs.

Several residents who spoke out against the permit could not be reached for comment Monday. Last July, lifelong resident Philomina Chiodo, a retiree, said a cafe would harm efforts to ``take back our neighborhood. This would make things go backwards if allowed.''

Rivera could not be reached for comment. In testimony last fall, he pledged to run a quiet neighborhood place with good security and no tolerance for the riff-raff that plagued the former cafe.

Police records show 63 complaints sent officers to the Las Vegas Cafe between June 14, 1991, and June 28, 1995, the day the cafe's permit was yanked and the business was closed.

One call was for a drive-by shooting on Oct. 15, 1994, that left a Hartford man dead and two patrons wounded. There were also 29 calls that involved allegations of narcotics and six claims of liquor law violations.

Rivera's attorney, Alexander Aponte, said he had yet to read the commission decision and wanted to discuss it with his client before making any statements about challenging the commission's decision.